ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — a position
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fine — all right
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com